Beverage case



H. S. CLOYD BEVERAGE CASE March 5, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April '7, 1961 INVENTOR.

M01/HL,

i W hn March 5, 1963 H. s. cLoYD 3,080,087

BEVERAGE CASE Filed April 7, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O spaans? BEVERAGE case Harold S. Cloyd, Erie, Pa., assigner to Union Carbide Corporation, New York, NX., a corporation of New This invention is a case for bottled beverages, such as beer and the like, made of semi rigid plastic and constructed to prevent unwanted opening of the covers.

ln the drawing, FIG. l is a top plan View of the case with the covers opened, FIG. 2 is a perspective of the case with the covers closed, FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing the cover closed over an end wall of the case, FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary end view, FIG. 5 is an enlarged end view partly broken away of a modification, FiG. 6 is a section on line 6 6 of FIG. 5, FlG. 7 showsthe shape of the slot in the end wall for holding the covers closed, FIG. 8 is a fragmentary end view of another modification, FIG. 9 is a section on line 9-9 of FIG. 8, FlG. 10 is a section on line fr0- ifi of FIG. 8, and FIG. ll shows the shape of the opening in the end wall for cooperating with the spring latch members of the cover to hold the covers closed.

The conventional features of the beverage case are readily identified, 1 being the handle in the end walls 2, 3 being the covers which are hinged to the side walls 4, and 5 being finger openings for lifting the covers. The bottles are received in individual pockets between intersectiag longitudinal and cross vpartitions 6 and 7. The covers are connected to the upperedges of the side Walls 4 by strap hinge sections 8. Y

The case is molded in one piece from one of the semi rigid plastics such as polyethylene. This provides a structure in which thin wall sections may be used to take advantage of the high strength of the plastic and thereby obtain a light weight case. The thin wall sections are somewhat flexible and because the case is molded in one piece, there may be variable shrinkage resulting in wall sections which are somewhat warped. The conventional cover construction used with corrugated paperboard cases is accordingly not suitable because the covers will not stay closed when the cases are handled in the usual manner.

This difficulty is overcome by 'the construction illustrated in detail in FIGS. 3 and 4. First, the abutting lonitudinal edges 1? on the covers are provided with downwardly extending flanges 11 which stillen the edges '10 so that a tight closure is obtained. lt will be noted that the flanges 11 diverge away from the edges 1li so that each cover may be lifted separately without interfering with the other cover. At the ends, the cover is provided with downwardly depending, spaced, inner and outer flanges l2 and 13, the inner flanges l2 preferably being integral with the associated downwardly depending flange 11. On the inner surface of the end wall 2 are a plurality of vertical stidening ribs 14 which, when combined with the thickness of the end wall 2, completely fill the space between the flanges 12 and 13 when the cover is lowered in place over the upper edge of the end wall. When the cover is in place, the upper edge of the end Wall is gripped between the flanges 12 and i3. Even though the flanges and end walls are slightly warped, the Warped sections are brought into line as the cover is lowered into closed position and the resulting structure is rigid. To hold the cover in the lowered position, a detent 15 is molded on the outer surface of each end Wall 2. This detent fits in an opening 16 in the outer flange 13. An external rib 17 is molded on the outside of end wall 2, directly below the detent projection 15, preventing accidental unlocking of the cover.

The case may be used in the same manner as the con- Mice ventional corrugated paper case but has the advantage of lighter weight, greater strength, washability and better appearance. When the covers are closed, the case is effectively rigid, due to the reinforcement provided by the flanges 12 and 13. The inner flange 12 may be considered as a backup flange for the outer or overlapping flange 13. If the flange 12 were omitted, the end wall 2 and the flange I13 could separate either from shrinkage stresses arising during molding or bending stresses in handling. However, when the backup flange 12 is added, the covers 3, the flanges 12 and 13 and the end walls 2 are constrained to act as a single unit, thereby greatly increasing the strength as well as preventing unwanted opening of the covers.

In the modification shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the end wall 2 is provided with a U-shaped slot 1S with undercut detent notches i9 which engage the lower edges 20 of the cover flanges .l1 and hold the covers in closed position. With this construction, if desired, the reinforcing ribs 14 on the inner surface of the end Wall 2 may be omitted and the backup flange Z1 which corresponds to the flange 12 moved closer so as to accommodate the thinner section of the end wall. The combined efiect of the flanges 13 and 2l is to constrain the cover and end wall and prevent relative flexing of the flanges 11 and the detent notches 19 which could cause unwanted release of the cover. The interlocking of the flanges 21 and 13 with the end wall 2 also results in a marked increase in rigidity or" the case when the covers are in the closed position.

In the modification of FlGS. 8 to 11, the end walls 2 have the reinforcing ribs 14 on the inner surfaces and the cover has inner and outer flanges 12 and i3 as in the FIG. 1 to 4 case. The upper edge of each end wall is provided'with a U-shaped notch 22 having undercut detent notches 23 cooperating with a spring member 24 molded on the under side of the cover between the flanges 12 and 13. As the cover is closed, a detent projection 25 on the lower end of the spring member 24 snaps into the detent notches 26. The spring member 2d is recessed between and protected by the flanges 12 and 13.

ln all of the constructions, the covers close tightly even though the wall sections may be warped due to molding shrinkage. As the covers are closed, the end walls of the case are progressively brought into alignment and interlocked with the flanges on the ends of the covers. The detent structure for the covers is between the pairs of flanges on the ends of the covers.

ii/hat is claimed as new is:

l. A one piece plastic case for bottled beverages, said case having side and end walls and covers joined to upper edgs of the side walls by flexible hinge sections, said covers hinging toward the center of the case and having longitudinal edges abutting at the center of the case in the closed position, each end wall having a handle opening adjacent the abutting edges of the covers, a downwardly depending integral flange on the underside of each of the longitudinal edges, a pair of integral downwardly depending flanges at each end of each cover, the flanges of each pair being spaced apart a distance to provide an open ended slot to receive and to straddle the end wall at its end of the case when the cover is closed so that in the closed position the end walls of the case are constrained by said pairs of flanges, and detent means between said pairs of flanges and cooperating with said end walls and covers to hold the covers in closed position.

2. A one piece plastic case for bottled beverages, said case having side and end walls and covers joined to upper edges of the side walls by flexible hinge sections, said covers hinging toward the center of the case and having longitudinal edges abutting at the Center of the case in the closed position, a pair of integral downwardly depending flanges at each end of each cover, the flanges of each pair being spaced apart a distance to straddle the end Wall at its end of the case .as the cover is closed so that in the closed position the end walls of the case are con- Istrained by said pairs of flanges, and detent means for -thefcovers comprising anopening in one ange of each Iof Vsaid pairs vof anges vand projections on the end walls received in said openings when the covers are closed.

3. A one piece plastic case -for bottled beverages, said case having side and end Walls and covers joined to upper edges of the side Walls by flexible hinge sections, .said covers hin'ging ltoward the center of the case and having longitudinal edges abutting at the center of the case in the closed position, each end wall having a handle opening adjacent the 'abutting edges of the 'covers a downwardly depending Yintegral -ange on the vunderside of each lof the longitudinal edges, a pair -of integral downwardly depending anges at each end of each cover, the fiiauges vof 'each pair being spaced apart a distance to provide an open ended slot to receive and to `straddle vthe -end wall at its end of the case when vthe cover is closed so that in the closed position the end walls of the case are constrained by said pairs -of anges, said end walls having an opening :receiving Ythe Elongitudinal anges in the vclosed position of the covers and 'havin-g detent recesses cooperating with the longitudinal -iianges to hold the covers closed.

4. A one piece plastic case for bottled beverages, `said case having side and vend walls and covers joined to upper edges of the side walls by -cxible hinge sections, said covers hinging toward the center of the case and having longitudinal edges abutting at the center of the case in the closed position, each end wal-l having a handle 'opening adjacent the abutting edges of the covers, a pair of integral downwardly depending flanges at each end of `each cover, the anges of each pair being spaced apart a distance to provide 'an open .ended slot to receive and to straddle the `end wall at its end 'of the case when the cover is yclosed so that in the closed position the end Walls of the case are constrained by said pairs of anges, detent members depending from the covers between said pairs of anges, 'and said end walls having detent openings receiving said detent members and cooperating therewith to 'hold the covers in closed position.

5. A one piece plastic case for bottled beverages having side, bottom and end walls and intersecting longitudinal and cross partitions 'integral with each other and vwith said Walls and providing bottle receiving compartments,

covers joined to the upper edges of the side walls by flex- Y ible lhinge sections and havin-g longitudinal edges abutting yat the center of the case in the lclosed position, each end Wall having a handle opening adjacent the abutting edges of the covers, an integral vdownwardly depending `flange on the underside of each of the longitudinal edges, a pair of integral downward-ly depending flanges at each end of each cover, the anges of each pair being spaced apart ,a distance to provide an open ended slot to receive .and to straddle the end wal-l at its end of the case when .the

cover is closed so that ,inthe closed position the end walls` of the case 'are constrained by said pairs offlanges.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A ONE PIECE PLASTIC CASE FOR BOTTLED BEVERAGES, SAID CASE HAVING SIDE AND END WALLS AND COVERS JOINED TO UPPER EDGES OF THE SIDE WALLS BY FLEXIBLE HINGE SECTIONS, SAID COVERS HINGING TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE CASE AND HAVING LONGITUDINAL EDGES ABUTTING AT THE CENTER OF THE CASE IN THE CLOSED POSITION, EACH END WALL HAVING A HANDLE OPENING ADJACENT THE ABUTTING EDGES OF THE COVERS, A DOWNWARDLY DEPENDING INTEGRAL FLANGE ON THE UNDERSIDE OF EACH OF THE LONGITUDINAL EDGES, A PAIR OF INTEGRAL DOWNWARDLY DEPENDING FLANGES AT EACH END OF EACH COVER, THE FLANGES OF EACH PAIR BEING SPACED APART A DISTANCE TO PROVIDE AN OPEN ENDED SLOT TO RECEIVE AND TO STRADDLE THE END WALL AT ITS END OF THE CASE WHEN THE COVER IS CLOSED SO THAT IN THE CLOSED POSITION THE END WALLS OF THE CASE ARE CONSTRAINED BY SAID PAIRS OF FLANGES, AND DETENT MEANS BETWEEN SAID PAIRS OF FLANGES AND COOPERATING WITH SAID END WALLS AND COVERS TO HOLD THE COVERS IN CLOSED POSITION. 